


Waves

by gayspacecowboy



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, han is awkward about feelings, luke is a smol gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-03-17
Packaged: 2018-05-27 08:19:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6276751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gayspacecowboy/pseuds/gayspacecowboy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luke sees the ocean for the first time. Han has a startling realization.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Waves

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place right after the Battle of Endor in a world where Han and Leia are just buddies. Enjoy!

The Millennium Falcon was a Corellian beauty, able to out-fly Imperial Star Destroyers, navigate the most treacherous asteroid fields, and managed to do so with barely a scratch. It had a reputation throughout the galaxy the as fastest ship there was.

It was also about to crash.

Han worked furiously, flipping switches and cursing under his breath. It was supposed to be a quick reconnaissance mission, a simple back-and-forth trip to clear out any lingering traces of the Empire. And now he was about to die. Because of a simple ship malfunction. Great.

He had checked everything twice before leaving Endor, had even _double checked_ , but that didn’t seem to matter much now. Something had gone wrong and the ship was spiraling down to some small, obsolete planet. What Han wouldn’t give for a copilot right now.

“Where’s a wookie when you need one?” Han muttered, thinking of Chewbacca, who was probably still enjoying himself back on Endor with the rest of the resistance, the lucky bastard.

Luke came running from around the corner, having only just woke up if his bedhead was anything to go by. “What’s going on?” he asked blearily, making his way to Han’s side.

“Something busted. The combustion chamber, maybe.” Han pulled up quickly on the controls, attempting to slow the ship's descent. “Kid, help me out, will ya?” Han directed at Luke, who was nervously pulling at the end of his poncho. One day he’d really have to show this kid how to dress. “Hit that button over there, the blinking one, and then pull up on the lever.” Luke rushed over, doing as Han instructed. The ship slowed, now back in Han’s control.

“We’re going to have to make a quick stop here,” he informed Luke, directing the ship to the small planet.

Luke plopped down in the co-pilot seat, pouting. “But we’ve already been gone so long!” he whined. “We already missed most of the victory parties.” With a dramatic sigh, Luke slumped further down in the chair.

“Relax, kid. It’s just until I figure out what went wrong.” Han assured him. Suddenly, Luke shot up and stared out the cockpit window.

“What is that?” he said, pointing. Han didn’t see anything.

“What’s what?”

“ _That_ ,” said Luke, pointing even more excitedly.

The planet was growing closer now and Han could make out a shoreline. Deciding that it was a good a place as ever to land, he directed the Falcon to a grassy patch by the water.

“Listen, I don’t know what you’re talking about but-” Han stopped short as Luke sprang from his seat and pressed his face to the window.

“I’m talking about that,” Luke said, the awe clear in his voice. Outside there was tall grass blowing in the wind, a sandy beach nearby, the waves lapping gently on the shore. Luke soaked in the sight reverently, like he was afraid it might suddenly disappear if he looked away.

“Uh, you mean that?” Han chuckled, unable to believe Luke had no idea what he was looking at. “It’s called the ocean.”

“That's the ocean,” Luke whispered to himself. He stared at it for a minute before asking, “Can I touch it?”

It took another minute for Han to figure out if the kid was being serious or not. There was an intense look in Luke’s eye, though, as he waited for an answer. He didn’t seem to be kidding.

“Sure, you can touch it, swim in it, do whatever you want in it really,” Han said while he shrugged. “Except breath of course.” He was only half kidding with that addition. Clearly this kid wasn’t familiar with large bodies of water; he wasn’t taking any chances.

Luke nodded and lingered at the window for a moment. Then he took off toward the exit of the ship. Footsteps echoing off the walls, Han listened to Luke’s hurried feet rush out of the Falcon. He watched from the cockpit as Luke ran across the sand, straight into the water. Waves splashed around his feet as he waded in up to his knees. The kid was still wearing his shoes, Han noticed fleetingly. And that dumb poncho. It didn’t seem to bother Luke any. He reached down, ran his hands through the water with a look of pure joy on his face. It was only then that Han noticed what was happening, what had been happening for some time, what the feeling blossoming beneath his chest was.

“Oh shit,” he muttered, realization washing over him. Oh shit, indeed. This was…well, not completely unexpected. Inconvenient? No. Maybe. Han didn’t know how. He stood, shook his head, and looked out again just in time to see a wave knock Luke over. When Luke rose, soaked and laughing, his eyes shut and the wind gently sweeping across his hair, Han knew he was done for.

Okay, reasoned Han, that was a problem for later. Right now he had a ship to fix. Grudgingly, he tore his eyes away from the sight of Luke smiling in the water. Ship now, feelings later. Han sighed, heading to the back of the ship. The sooner they got back to Endor, the better.

___

The problem was, thankfully, exactly what Han expected. A broken combustion chamber, easy to patch up until they could get a replacement somewhere. Han made his way out of the Falcon, noticing that the sun was now beginning to set. There was only one sun here, it seemed.

Looking out, Han could see Luke silhouetted against the ocean. He was sitting at the edge, letting the waves brush his feet. He walked over, closing the distance between them until he was standing by Luke’s side.

“You’re a mess,” Han said, looking down at Luke’s soaked and sandy clothes. Luke looked down, seeming to only notice his clothes now that Han pointed them out.

“Oh,” he let out, taking in his appearance. He glanced up at Han. “Do you think I could borrow some clothes?”

That was…fine. That was fine, Han told himself. There was no reason for his heart to flutter at the thought of Luke in his clothes. “Sure,” he replied, his voice surprisingly steady despite the feelings rushing through him, making his pulse pick up just a bit. He stood beside Luke, watching him trace patterns in the sand with the tips of his fingers.

“Sand is different when it’s wet,” Luke said to no one in particular. The sinking sun made his hair shine, almost gold in this light. There was a brief moment when Han felt the urge to reach out and touch it.

He had to get off this damn planet. Han cleared his throat, breaking the peaceful silence.

“Everything’s all patched up,” he told Luke. “We should be able to make the jump to Endor no problem. We’ll get there by the end of the day. Might not make it in time for dinner, but, still-” Han trailed off when he saw the look forming Luke’s face.

“Are you crying?” Han asked, concern leaking into his voice though he had meant to sound taunting.

“No,” Luke sniffed, wiping his eyes.

“You are,” Han shot back, coming down to sit beside Luke. He sat there, unsure what else to do while Luke continued to hold back tears. Slowly, tentatively, Han looped his arm around him. He was surprised when Luke let his head fall against Han’s shoulder. “Do, um… Do you want to talk about it?” Han asked awkwardly. Luke laughed, a soft, golden sound. A moment passed.

“I heard about the ocean before,” Luke said, staring out across the water. “I didn’t know it looked like this, with the…” he gestured with his hands, unable to find the word.

“Waves?” Han provided.

“Yes. Waves.” Luke looked up to smile at Han, their faces almost touching, “They’re beautiful.” The sun sat behind him, dipping down into the horizon, bathing Luke in a warm halo of light.

It was beautiful, thought Han. Luke was beautiful.

Looking back across the ocean, Luke whispered, almost inaudible “I don’t want to leave.”

That’s it, Han said internally, I’m absolutely fucked for the kid.

They sat staring at the ocean for a moment, watched as the sky grew into shades of orange and purple, a miraculous display of color reflected on the water.

Then, a sly smile began to slide across Han’s face. He let out an exaggerated gasp. “You know, I must be the biggest nerfherder in the galaxy. I can’t believe I forgot about the compressor!”

“The compressor?” Luke questioned as he turned back to look at Han.

“We can’t leave without fixing the compressor,” Han continued. “And that’ll take, I don’t know, a day? Maybe two? At the least.” He smiled fondly down at Luke, who was beginning to catch on.

“So we can’t go back today?” Luke asked, a slight smile making its way onto him.

“Sorry, kid,” Han replied with an exaggerated frown. “Guess you’ll have to put up with me a little longer.” Both of them began to giggle, their smiles a breath apart. Han wanted to know what that smile would feel against his.

Their laughter faded slowly out, the sound of the waves on the shore encompassing them. The sun had almost set, barely peeking out behind the horizon. The stars were coming out now, illuminating the night. Han could swear he saw constellations in Luke’s eyes.

When Han brought his lips to Luke’s, it was warm and soft, something Han had never allowed himself to have. A small, infinitesimal thing it was, really. Just a kiss. A kiss was only a moment, a single point in the infinite universe. It had no right to reach out and touch every empty space within a human, to make them feel full enough to burst. Yet, somehow, it did.  

“Han,” Luke murmured as they pulled apart.

“Luke,” came Han’s reply.

Luke smiled. “I like the ocean.”

“Me too, kid,” Han said, pushing another gentle kiss to Luke. “Me too.”

Waves coming up to sweep over their feet, the stars shining, a single moon glowing brightly against the darkness: It was good. It was enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Can you believe how sappy these nerds are?
> 
> Anyways, you can come talk to me at gayspacecowboy.tumblr.com if you want to!


End file.
